Thyme honey appears to be effective at managing radiation-induced oral mucositis and improving the quality of life in individuals with head and neck cancer

In June 2018 researchers from Cyprus published the results of their study to assess the effectiveness of thyme honey on oral mucositis in individuals with head and neck cancer. A total of 72 individuals with head and neck cancer were divided into two groups and received either thyme honey rinses or a saline rinse. Oral mucositis assessments were performed weekly starting at the 4th week of radiotherapy for seven weeks and repeated again 6 months later. In addition, an Oral Mucositis Questionnaire was completed during the 4th week of radiotherapy, 1 month after the completion of radiotherapy and 6 months later. Results showed that those using the thyme honey rinses had been assessed as having a lower grade of oral mucositis, had maintained their body weight and shown an improvement in their general health when compared to the control group. In addition, the quality of life of the individuals using the thyme honey rinses was significantly higher than those using the saline rinses.

Charalambous M et al. The effect of the use of thyme honey in minimizing radiation – induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2018 Jun;34:89-97

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